Did the WotC boards blow up...again?

[carmachu]

The wizard boards are down again.

Thanks for the heads up.I followed the link in this thread a couple posts up, which was enlightening, then went to look at the rest of teh forum and was told I didnt have access and then nothing.

Was wondering if it was just me.

 

[silentounce]

@Everyone Else - Nothing Tao has said merits the amount of flak he has received. I would like to underscore what Piratecat stated earlier - lay off the personal attacks please.

If you are referring to my post nothing in it is a personal attack at all. It's merely pointing out a thread about deleting threads on that other board. I did mention that Tao featured prominently in it and that Gamer0 corrected him. None of that is an attack. I was just providing a bit of reference to those who don't necessarily go to those boards. I don't think you were talking to me... but just in case.

Also, their boards are down again, so no one can read the thread I linked to anyway. All threads are giving out the "you do not have permission to access this page" message again. Schadenfreude indeed.

Thanks for the heads up.I followed the link in this thread a couple posts up, which was enlightening, then went to look at the rest of teh forum and was told I didnt have access and then nothing.

Was wondering if it was just me.

Maybe they're removing access for everyone that views certain threads.

Edit: And now they're back, in the time it took me to type this post. Interesting.

 

[Tao]

@Tao That was not my intent and I apologize. When I referred to customer service I was referring to the policy the boards now have of requiring users to either call into customer service or use a cust-serv email. The appearance this gave to me is that the wizo's have been cut out of customer service.

The remark about deleting posts was uncalled for especially since I know it can't be done and there be any possibility of getting away with it. This said I have read a huge number of complaints on the matter (and who is GamerZero anyway?) so I wonder if someone has gone rogue.

Yeah... the WizOs are now being folded into Customer Service as a full time position. We don't take calls, but we do handle some of the emails (specifically, ones related to the boards). There's been a lot of shake ups and its been a rough year all around for some of us. The Admin team was hit especially hard, with all of our projects being cut out from under us. I realized after the fact that the snipes probably weren't aimed at us, but we've taken so much flak recently for things that I really wish we had more control over, so I reacted on that assumption. I just figured you'd give us more credit, and perhaps you did, so I apologize for my kneejerk reaction.

As for Zer0... he's the Community Management liason to the boards. And that's all that I am going to say about that particular matter. I'm sure anyone interested could do a forum search and find more information.

Maybe they're removing access for everyone that views certain threads.

I hold a grudge. And have admin privileges. MWAHAHAA.

Just kidding. I don't hold grudges.



Oh... and yes. The boards are a little up and down today. Not as bad as they were last week, but still a bit bumpy. I do have a couple of relevant announcements, however.

First, whatever you do: DON'T TRY TO MERGE ACCOUNTS. It's still an option, but there is a (very) good chance you'll kill both accounts if you try. It's not worth the risk. There is talk about fixing this, but they are deciding whether or not it is worth pulling people away from...

The new SSO patch that they are working on. They are aware that it is the root of their problems, and are working on rebuilding it, I believe from the ground up, rather than just trying to fix the current build. Unfortunately, I can't give a definite timeline (NDA and all that). But there is some hope on the horizon... umm... I hope.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Tao,
I can sympathize I'm steaming mad at WOTC, not you. You = just a bloke/gal doing their job. This is nealry alway sthe case in IT/CR woes.
I quit hardware IT many years ago, so I wouldn't strangle the utterly moronic, greedy nooblings I was working for, or die of stress

I am angry at folk so foolish they merged and wiped out several happy communities on what's meant ot be a community forum.
That was...appalling.

And boggled at a large company having such a mess with a forum, when a forum is vital interest to their business and shouldn't be that much havoc...sans interference from above, that is

I've talked to a few of the WizOs over the years and always found 'em nice folks. It's sad to see yet another thing I care for, messed up not by the harsh woes of life, but by what seems to be from all accounts, Davros having got in charge of the WOTC IT system:

"YOU WILL USE PHP! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED IF YOU DON'T COMPLY!"

 

[mudbunny]

Enlightening. Like not deleting negative threads but merging them to the "First Impressions" megathread no one will read because of its length.

Like after reading the core rules and running the game you'd still have just "first impressions" that deserve to be dumped into the anonymous crowd because your opinion happens to not reflect WotC's marketing wishes... sorry, "policy".

Way to "drown the fish", so to speak.

You do know that a fair number of positive first impression threads were merged into the mega-thread as well...

Once the WotC boards come back up, I will link to a post I made explaining why the mergers were done (I made a fair number of merger recommendations). But the basic reason is that all of the first impression threads eventually ended up as edition wars, and they were also drowning out and preventing other discussion topics. (At times, over 50% of the threads on the front page were first impression threads.)

 

[Darkwolf71]

Maybe we need a list of the people who deserve the blame to direct ire towards?

I find it convenient to direct most of my ire at zer0...

I'm just sayin.

 

[Delta]

Once the WotC boards come back up, I will link to a post I made explaining why the mergers were done (I made a fair number of merger recommendations).

Are you also a WOTC staffer or... something? It's really hard to follow the implied context of this thread.

 

[mudbunny]

Are you also a WOTC staffer or... something? It's really hard to follow the implied context of this thread.

Sorry 'bout that. I am an "or something".

For the General Discussion forum, where all the merging took place, I am a Forum Lead. I am familiar with the regulars, the topics that tend to come up, and I can make suggestions that thread 1 should really be in forum X or Y, and that thread 2 is the same as thread 3 and they can be merged.

I have *no* moderation abilities or abilities to ban, edit or modify other people's posts. I am just a poster who is familiar with the forum and that the VCL (Volunteer Community Lead) trusts.

For more info on what VCL and FL actually do, check out the post here that i made that includes the definitions and links to more detail. (Of course, you will only be able to check whent he forums come back up).

Edit to add inthe interests of full disclosure - For the DDi forums, I am the VCL. As VCL, I also do not have moderation abilities or abilities to ban, edit or modify other people's posts. I am just a poster that Community Management trusts.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

After they destroyed the Spelljammer and Dark Sun communities on those forums, I just have no stomach left for that bunch.

Exactly! I blame this whole downage on the Other Worlds Forums mergers.

Off to the Piazza for my retired-settings conversations!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Eeek

































Reported! (Don't go back to the previous page unless you want to see the worst spam I've seen in years... At least wait until a mod gave the all clear )